The Sun. — London, England, 1826-08-11 00:00:00

/2 DEPTFORD 'VICTUALLING YARD?, Juts` tO. THESE are to giv e N o ti ce , th at on T HURSDAY, the 17th of Next Month, at Ten o'Cloek in the Fore , . 'soon, -will be put up to PUBLIC SALE, at His Majesty's 'Vic tualling Yard at Deptford, sundry Lots of the following UN SERVICEABLE STORES, now lying in the said Yard, via. :-- 'Bread, Bread Dust, Flour, Flour Sweepings, Pease, Pease Sings, Oatmeal, B a k e h ouse Sweepings, PmerveMeate, sags and Rags, Cocoa Bags, Butter, Cheese, Beef, Pork, Suet. , Sugar, and Vinegar. Staves---Leager, Butt, Puncheon, Viogebead, Barrel, Kilderkin, Irish `fierce and Barrel. Head in--Wine Pipes, Irish Tierces and Barrels ; Board and Scant ling, Ica ; a quantity of Fire-wood. A Deposit of 251. per cent. is to be made (in Cash, or Notes of the'Bank of England) upon the amount of each Lot at the time of Sale, aria the Remainder of the Purchase-money to be paid before the Stores are removed, for which purpose a period of Fourteen Working Days will be allowed from the Day of Sale; the Buyers particularly observing, that not less than one-half of the quantity is to be taken away in the First Seven Days, and the remainder in the seven following days; otherwise the Dep. sit-money wilt be , forfeited, and the Stores' remain the property of the Crown, as no extension of time will, on any...account, be granted. The Stores may be viewed duiiug the Working Hours of the Yard on the three days immediately preceding the day of Sale. Catalogues may be had on application at the wad JOHN HILL, Comptroller. FOREIGN LOTTERIES, PRIVATE LOTTERIES, LITTLE GOES, and RAFFLES. Lottery Office, Somerset-place, July 19, 1526. I OTTERIES being finally to c ease on th e 18th . Day of October next, Notice is hereby given, that the Lawe siairist the Sale, or advertizing for Sale of Foreign Lottery 'Tickets, and of any Lottery Tickets not authorized by Parliament, against Little Goes and Private Lotteries, will be strictly enforced It is requested that the outstanding Prizes may be brought in for payment with the least possible delay, that the Lottery Ac counts may be closed. Numbers of Tickets and Shares may be registered, and their fates may he ascertained by application at this Office. L. HESSE. • - BRUSSELS, PLACE ROYALE, HOTEL liE L'EUROPE.—F. BONNY has the honour to ap prise the Nobility and Public who travel, he has recently fitted up and opened thetbove spacious HOTEL, with superior ele gance, and. every requisite for comfort. F. Bonny feels a convic tion, that his long acquaintance with English habits, together with the peculiarly advantageous situation of his Hotel, will secure him extensive patronage; and respectfully solicits those travelling to favour him with their early commands, to ensure his best attention to the care of baggage, and to enable him to ob viate (by giving the fullest particulars of route) the inconveniences incidental to travelling. / NERVOUS COMPLAINTS, and DF;BII,ITY. DR. FOTHERGILL'S NERVOUS DROPS. To those who are afflicted with Nervous Disorders and their - various 'diStressing affections, as oppression of spirits, bead-aches, loss of appetite, indigeetion, spasms, tremors, fainting tits, and debility or relaxation of the system, it is con fidently recommended to have recourse to the above celebrated Medicine from which they are assured of obtainin g immedia te relief, an d by a due perseverance in it, agreeably to the direc tions given, the complete re-establishment of their h ea l t h. Sold in Bottles, at 4a. 6d. ; I Is. and 225. by Butlers, Che- Mists, 4, Cheapaide, corner of St. Paul's, London ; 54, &La vine-street, Dublin ; and 73, Princes-street, Edinburgh ; Sa vory and Co. 136, New Bond -street, and 220, Regcnt.atreet; and by the principal Medicine Venders throughout the United Kingdom. Of whom may be had, Dr. FOTH WIGILL'S TONIC FEMALE PILLS, recommended in, general Debility of t/ie Constitution, also as a safe and ex.lellent remedy in those pe riodical irregularities which Feinales, of delicate and languid circulation, more especially t;ne younger part, are liable to..— In Boxes, at Is. 1 id. and "is 9d. NORTHERN RAIL-ROAD COMPANY. YesterdaY "...meeting of the Shareholders in this Company took Place at th e London Tavern, for the purpose of considering the proprieey of dissolving the Company, on account of difficulties wh '..ch ' presented themselves. There was a great novelty in the 'Proceedings of this Company., It was a contest between the Di rectors whether or not the Company should be put an end to. Goomaz Htaarur, Esq. was called to the Chair. The Csuakmax stated, that notwithstanding the report of No vember, which spoke highly of the probable advantages of the Company, the Directors now thought that the concern should b e a betutoped, inasmuch as a change had taken place in the situation nf !Stirs. The general distrust of Joint Stock Companies operated ig,mit this. It bad not beekascertained what degree of oppo sition.the Land-owners sight offer, and it was considered that the difficulties which presented themselves were on the whole of such a nature as to induce the Directors to draw up a report, recommendatory of a dissolution. He reluctantly stated this fact. The report was the result, not of a change of opinion, but of cir cumstances. Mr. VIZARD, the solicitor to the Company, then read the re port, which represented the advantages that presented themselves If the concern were prosecuted with spirit, but advised that, in consequence of the difficulties of getting capital together, and on account of other difficulties, the company should be dissolved. It stated that the sum required for the undertaking amounted to 9 43,777/. ; that between 16,0001. and 17,0001. had been received as deposits, and there remained, after payment of the expences ne cessarily incurred, as much as would pay the shareholders lls. in the pound. It was then moved that the report should be agreed to. A shareholder asked how many share. the directors had first in tended to issue.—The Chairman-25,000. It was stated, that a large reserve had been made for the coun try, and that, on that account, there had been a great unan swered demand in London for shares; but the change which took Place prevented the expected demand in the country. Mr. W. Ctaxxx regretted that the plan had not been carried into execution. It would have been a national benefit. He was !trilled at the solicitor's bill, 100/. It was unlike that of the Kentish hail-road Compan y, bi 2,500/. ; but the latter was M r. ll ' The shar es had been kept back for a legitimate object in this concern, and . the Directors had not trafficked in them. Mr. WRIGHT (a Director) objected to the report. He knew this concern would be immensely profitable ; that it would pro duce 10 per c en t. t h e fi rst f i ve years, and God knows bow much per cent. afterwards. He should be afraid to say how much. He tho ug ht n o thi ng o f t h e temporary de fi ciency of deposits, after all the humbug matters--200,0007. a year was a drop out of the budget in the city of London, where there was such enormous capital. They could easily get an Act of Parliament, and Go vernment would favour their object, as a million of money would he employed, and the poor must be benefited. He trusted that the shareholders would not take away their paltry I Is. a share, when such enormous profits presented themselves. Mr. 'Wright acknowledged that he Was a,.large- coal proprietor, and that he looked, in the first instance, to hie own advantage. He moved an amendment, that it was not advisable to break up the concern, but that all the shareholders, who pleased to give notice within a certain time, might withdraw their deposits, according to the proportion mentioned in the report. A long conversation followed, in which it was admitted, that th ou gh the majority of shaieholdert might think - proper to with draw from the company, there. still was a chance of the con tinuance of the concern, from the 'high promise of advantage. The ame e ndment was ag ree d to ; so that the company is still in existe.nc. Mr. w mo u r , to show that money was not wanting in the eity, declared to the meeting, that a friend of his had been offered. the day &lore, 200,0001. at 2 per cent., for any time he pleased. laugh.) MEETINGS OF CREDITORS. LONDON DIARY, MONDAY, .Aucs un. 14. (At the Court of Commissioners.) w. Dimity and Tuck, Howland-street, and Kensington, builders 12 W. R. Griffith, City - road - bitainfiron‘rnereh ant ll W. Jackson, White's-alley and Warnfortl-court, smith COUNTRY DIARY. , W. Birch, Thanet —Guildhall, Canterbury , 0 J. C. Blore, Liverpool—Messrs. Morecroft, Liverpool R. Hill, Norwich—Rampant Horse, Norwich B. Lane, Manchester—Mesars. Clay, Manchester J. M Lediard, Cheltenham—Georg e , Cheltenham .......... . errell, Cheltenham—Georgo, Cheltenham .... Wilson and 'Westmorland, Liv.—Meurs. Or re d, Liverpool I A r great nu m b er o f wor k men are now employed in epairing the fo r tifi ca ti ons of Valenciennes. am, are now very few workmen employed on the fortifica tions of Cambrai, which are, notwithstanding, in a l 'erY bad state. ..c.4.....4" --' '").- e 4; : . ''''' -4 - . A...., ciAz, c -....:-...x, r„..), , .00 e It 4 „ .. -:.- . - - .41 4 - 4 (---- .1 1 ,__ ~, .a. - i - • - . -- _,--4,' ' D 4 . , - , I :,, ,it ..14 ,,,, , 0 ~ frr ir , - . . 4 ..... ,1, -.9 ..., ' ~ ,: 4 ' '' , .. .., ' y` z; '.- . ,• - 4zikilili 0 gitiolv.,. FRIDAY EVENING, AUGUST 11, 1826. DEMERARA. The partial and abortive insurrection of negioea here in 1823, the consequent imprisonment of a Missionary who died in prison, and the Parliamentary debates which en sued, forced the individuality of this colony upon the at tention of John Bull, who seems to sleep with all the supineness of an Epicurean Divinity upon the conditior. or even existence of such places as are emblazoned to his view by the flickerings of sedition or the flames of war.— Your London public will probabably be indebted for a knowledge of the West Indies to Powell Buxton, the brewer. It is an excusable inaccuracy of spech, to say, the island of Demerara, because, in fact, all the British colonies in the West Indies are islands, excepting Demerara and Berbice, which are on the main land of South America,and situated eastward of the mouth of the Orinoco, between the 6th ! and 7th•degress of N. latitude. • • Demerara - Would never have been ColOnised but for the amphibious Dutch, who evidently choose it for its very lowness and marshiness.— It was by them ceded to Great Britain in 1796. As you approach Demerara by sea, you are struck with the singular appearance of a uniform line of coeoa-nut trees and cabbage trees growing out of the o cean . Th roug h an opening in this apparently fantastical marine plantation, you descry a forest of masts. These are ships at anchor off Georgetown. The bay, which passes the town several miles, is even there called the river Demerary. Ships of a certain burden cannot load within less than twelve miles from the entrance of this bay. There is a ferry, with two beats, communicating with the western coast, the town being on the eastern side of the water. The town extends over much ground, but the number of houses and inha bitants is not very great. The streets are wide, and there is an infinite nnmber of canals or sluices to receive and dis charge the tide and the torrents of rain. A residence in the town is by no means desirable. The country is every where brought to the very highest degree of cultivation. ft has, in fact, more the appear ance of a garden than of plantations. .The ground is com pletely drained, and canals are formed in every direction, by which the sugar cane is conveyed from the field to the mills, and by which the sugar, rum, &c. are conveyed from the manufactory to the sea-coast, where droghers, or coast ing vessels, wait to convey every sort of produce to the store-houses in Georgetown. At pretty equal distances you see the elegant houses of proprietors and managers of estates, built of timber, roofed with shingles (pieces of hard wood formed as if barrel-staves were cut into small pieces), laid on like slates, and all having a flight of steps in front, leading to the first floor. Not far you observe a large square of uniform buildings. They are the houses of the slaves —neat, clean, and commodious. To the latter is always attached a house for amusement and play for the children, and an hospital for the sick. There are excel lent roads in every direction. The woods have not been universally destroyed, and in the back-ground it appears quite a forest. The cocoa-nut trees, which abound every where, and form the most beautiful avenues to the prin cipal houses, present, in the general land sca p e , qu i te t h e appearance f ordinary trees. You might often imagine yourself travelling through the most level and best culti vated of the midland counties of England. The staple produce is the sugar cane, and nothing can be more beau tiful than the extensive fields which are uniformly covered with this rich and elegant plant. Coffee is also cultivated extensively and successfully. Cotton they have abandon ed, and rice they never tried. The government of this colony is an anomaly in the colonial system of Great Britain. The Dutch law was guaranteed at the time of the cession. It is now the law of the colony. His Britannic Majesty appoints a Gover nor, as in the other West Indian Colonies, but there being no local General Assembly, or Parliament, he is, in fact, an absolute Monarch. At the time of the cession the inha bitants were all Dutch, but now they are not in the pro portion of one-fifth. Here then insensibly has grown up a British colony under an absolute government. Yet, whether owing to the moderation of the Governors, or to the absence of all jealousy in the minds of the colo nists —probably to both causes—this peculiarity was never felt to exist till after the unfortunate events of 1823. Since that time absolute power has been strained to the utmost by the Governor, and most indignantly condemned by the colonist. Church and State have, almost as matter of course, been the two great departments of this war of prerogative. The contest is by no means over. Battle after battle must yet be fought here, and it is almost cer tain the final settlement of the subject must be in Lon don. The several questions involved are not devoid of interest to all British subjects —I had almost said to all lovers of freedom of opinion and speech, both civil and religious. I will, therefore, detail to you i n two several letters the que s ti one d and questionable conduct of. the Governor in the two departments of the Church and State. But in-the meantime it may be more convenient to con clude, in this letter, the further remarks have to offer on the state of this colony. Society in Demerara is good, extremely frank, easy, and hospitable. It has in a great measure redeemed itself from the reproach of West Indian society in former times. The celibacy or gross concubinage of West Indian gentlemen, notoriously deprived their minds and manners of the deli cacy, which can never exist without the presence and ex ample of accomplished and virtuous females. In Deme rara many of the most respectable planters are married to very accomplished and amiable ladies, several Clergymen and many Officers in the Army, stationed there, have given the same proof of good taste, and sound wisdom.— Not confined to those families themselves i 6 the infl uence of happysociety must either for all who w ou ld h o ld their rank in polite ther feel or feig n sent i ments and this s so et manners suited to the society of ladies. Yet is e x p ose d to shoketinigg it mustsi sights b a n n o ‘hvenre first that arr a i delicate vol i o pleataerara. N u di ty d among neg roe s and Indians in Demerara is far greater tha n in any of the West Indian Islands. With boys under 12 or 14 years of age it is total. Negroes and Indians of all ages use only the primeval apron, which generally serves but to " make darkness visible." It is quite horrible to see the naked females, some with their drained and tanned teats hanging loosely down or dangling from side to side, others with youthful breasts, less offensively, but not less indecently prominent. The Indians, who live in great numbers in the uncleared forests behind the plantations, called the Bush, come fre quently to George Town, and to the plantations. They are utterly useless, never work and live upon the chase, or the bounty ofuro cans. ' The y g ree dily dilv devourar dent spi r i ts to the mos t beastly excess. T he only sere vice they render to Colonists is to ferret Out negroes, who run away and take refi in refugethe Bush; They are per fectly harml ess . - The negroes in Demerara, are well fed. This is the only essential. To them, in a hot climate, houses and clothing are superfluities, yet they a re exce edingly well supplied with hou ses ar clothes. On Sundays they make a fine display in .their various d They have inviolably the bene fi t of m e di ca l a a raises. I ention and medicines from regularly educated surgeons. They ppea perfectly contented, working steadily, but a. after r their very slowly manner, and singing, dancing, and laughing with un- The deeply imp or t ant and much ag i tate d bounded gaiety a n d v i vac i ty. question of emancipation, I ab s t a i n f rom adverting to, until I shall have presented t o y our v i ew a more ex tended description of West Indian slavery. All the whites are most bitterly hostile to your emancipators at home, and the latter seem to be not behind in bitterness of hostility to the slave owners here. Their estimate of each other is extrava gantly unjust, both with respect to character and motives, and the publications of their respective partisans, are as violent and abusive u if they proceeded from two hostile nations engaged in a war of extermination. I shall en deavour to view the question impartially and dispassion ately. I have had an opportunity of knowing and appre ciating the proceedin gs o f t h e emanc i pators at h ome; I have an opportunity of sati s f y i ng myse lf res pecting th e actual condition and feelings of the slaves; and I am utterly unconnected with both. ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE; GLOUCESTER-47'Ra? DAY)—AUGUST b. LIBEL—THE IDIOT SMITH. SMITH V. HODGETTS. Mr. Campbell stated that this was an action for a libel, published in the Birmingham Journal. The plaintiff was the brother of an individual named George Smith, who had the misfortune to be an idiot. • He was taken care of at a place called 'Willoughbridge, till a little time previous to their father's death, when he was removed to Muckle stone wood. Their father, as he had stated, died, and desired that they would not send the unfortunate individu al to any asylum, but would take care of him at home.— They would find that his brothers and sisters were parti cularly kind to him ; but it being found that the light irritated him, and that was the reason why the window was darkened. On Monday, the 23d of January the un fortunate individual had been very violent, and it was necessary to shift his linen and bedding, and put on clean sheets, &c ; and while this was going on, the servant girl saw two gentlemen riding into the court-yard; one of them was recognized as Mr. Eld. There was no room but the kitchen where•these Gentlemen could be received, as there was no other fire; therefore the sister of Mr. Smith removed the bedding from the fire, and T. Smith replaced his brother on his bed, which was then without bedding, and placed a coat over him. Mr. Brough ton, the gentleman who accompanied Mr. Eld, put ques tions as to who were there; and the gentleman then wish ed to see the unfortunate idiot. His brother requested some delay, when Mr. Brou g ht on , w h o was a clergy man and a magistrate, d—d the sister of the plaintiff, and used rather violent language. Mr. Broughton, Mr. Eld, and a person named Colson, proceeded to the room where the unfortunate idiot was. They there found hiin in the situation described. They made no complaint, but sent a person, named Garret, from the Stafford Asylum, and the' unfortunate idiot was placed there. This was not of itself all th€ plaintiff had to cbinplain of—for these Magistrates circulated rumours on the subject, and when Mr." Smith commenced an ac tion against them, they thought fit to institute a prosecu tion against Mr. Smith, for alleged cruelty to his unfortu nate brother, and pending a 1 these proceedings the libels in question were published. The Learned Counsel now read the libels. They imputed that the plaintiff had treated his brother with cruelty of the most dreadful kind. But so far from the defendants being able to prove that the contents of the libels were true, he was in a condition to disprove the allegation they contained. The libels were read. They were as follows (From the Birmingham Journal of Feb. 11, 1826.) HORRID ATROCITY. " The Salopian Journal gives the following outline of a case of unnatural cruelty almost unheard of. The names are suppressed, as the circumstances are under legal investigation. A brother and sister reside near the northern borders of this county (Shropshire), whose father died shout 15 years ago, leaving seven children, four sons and three daughters. One of the sons was unhappily an idiot. The father by his will bequeathed to the brother and sister the sum of 1,500/. in trust, the interest thereof to be applied to the main tenance in the most comfortable manner his unfortunate situation would admit of his deranged child. Immediately after the death of his father (as alleged) the poor idiot was locked up in a small dark room in the house, where he was daily fed like a swine through a small aperture in the wall for a series of years. About eleven years ago, the brother and sister then spread a re port that their house was haunted, in order to deter persons from visiting it. However, a servant girl, who had been with them 14 years, left thew a few days ago, and went into the service of a magistrate in the neighbourhood, and communicated the above circumstance. The magistrate took immediate steps, and with a constable went to the house, and requested admittance. This being refused, he burst open the door, and found the unfortunate object of their search in a place of total darkness. They procured a light, and discovered the miserable victim of atrocious penury crouching in a corner of the room ; his hair had grown all over him to the length of three or four inches ; ha was become quite de formed, and shrunk to little more than a yard in height. When his father died, he was in person a well-made and tall young man. Blankets were procured to place him in, but when the con stable went to wrap them round him, he sprang at and bit him in the cheek, flaking a horrible and unintelligible noise. He was, however, brought down stain, and conveyed to the Staffordshire Lunatic Asylum, where he at present remains." The second libel was, continued the Learned Counsel, from the same journal of the 25th of February, and it as follows : that he bit the constable ; indeed, such was the stench that issued from the room, that the parties could not enter for some time, and when they did so, it was by ascending a pile of filth which hadac naulated to the height of more than a foot. His body is not over grown, as absurdly stated in the papers, but his beard is about five inches long ; his hair hangs about his shoulders, and his nails have grown to a prodigious length, as from a confinement of fifteen years may be reasonably supposed. Prior to 'the time of his in carceration he was so far rational as to drive the cattle and do errands, and could give a correct answer to any plain question, though be now seems to have lost the powers of speech and of reason : his sense of hearing has been proved to continue, by ex periments made since his removal to the county asylum at Staf ford. The poor creature was found in a state which maybe con sidered equivalent to nudity, and was unable to walk erect. His thigh has been broken, and permitted, as it is supposed, to re-unite of its own accord. This circumstance must have rendered his situation most deplorable, as he cannot have had any means of pro curing sustenance, but that of receiving the provision furnished him by means of a slide inserted in the partition or wail. Mr. Broughton, with becoming humanity, has exerted himself to ob tain for the lunatic the highest legal advice and protection, and it is generally understood that his conduct is likely to afford matte for the prolific genius of 'Mr. Charles Flint, the confidential friend of Lord Stafford Cooke. Such are the correct particulars of a case, which, to say the least of it, has filled the county of Stafford with astonishment." Elizabeth Wynn lived servant 23 years ago with-Mr. Isaac Smith, then a resident at Willoughbtidge, for three years at different intervals. George, the idiot, his son, was, when she first went, a young man, about or above 20 years old (his age was stated now to be 47). He was subject to fits, and could not do or tell any thing like another man. He was never allowed to go out with out somebody near him, being insensible to any danger, for she often saw him near falling into the fire or.water. In his fits he fell on the ground, and foamed very bad at the mouth. The first year she knew him, he could help himself a little, though he always required watching, which it was her business to do. On returning to the service a year after the had left it the first time, she found his fits worse, and he then broke all the glass of a window, except six panes at the top, when Miss Smith came, and caught him half out of the window—it was on the first floor, and in the room appropriated for his use. The window was then bricked up, except the six upper panes, by order of old Mr. Smith, the father, and it remained so while she was in the house. The side of his body was always faulty, when the fits were on him ; they lasted half an hour and longer, and his knees seemed sinew -tough. Hisprothers, Thomas and William, used to shave him, but sometimes he would not allow them, for he did not like the operation at all—it often drove him into a fit, and his illness always made him very weak and low. The se cond and third time she lived in the house, he was quite unable to assist himself, as at first. They brought him down stairs when they could, but sometimes he could hardly be got down for a week together—his door was never fastened, except with a link and staple outside, which would prevent his getting out in the night. Old Mr. and Mrs. Smith used to tell their daughter Sarah al ways to take care of George after their death. He was never conscious of either his father's or mother's death.— After the family had removed from Willoughbridge to Mucklestone, she commenced washing for them, at Christmas eight years ago. She used to wash for George, sheets, shirts, blankets, coverlets, and other clothes, regu larly once a week, and knew them always to be his from their appearance. His room was always in point of situation the most comfortable in the house ; it was over the kitchen, and consequently warm. There was always light in it.-- He never took the least regard either of the members of the homily or of book.. • She had_ seen him in bed, and his itcorimmodatiim there was as comfortable as possible, a teether-bed being at top, and a chaff one underneath.— There was never a hole in the partition of the room, or a slide in the wall. George had for breakfast bread and but ter, with a basin of tea, made by his s i s t er , and by her also taken to him. He was served the first of family inva riably, and at dinner the same. His meat was cut in bits before the family helped themselves, and as he could not be trusted with a knife, he had a spoon to use. George was always very fond of greens, and they were often pro vided for him. She often went out to buy little dainties for him, such as oranges and apples. In no instance had she ever seen him treated with cruelty, but always with great care, both before and after his father's death. Cross-examined.--During the last four years she knew nothing of what took place respecting this poor man. When she bought apples and oranges for him she always gave them to Miss. Smith, though there was no reason whatever why she should not have given them to George herself. He was as well treated after his father's death as before, and her opportunities of seeing him were once or twice a week, when she went up stairs to see how he was. In his father's life-time, he was always kept sweet and clean, and never had a beard five inches long. Some times, indeed, he could not be touched for a day or night to be cleaned, as the fits recurred three or four times. This interruption, however, never lasted longer than 24 hours. In answer to a question from the Court, she said that from the beginning to the end,_ he never uttered a word, his voice was a grunting, unaccompanied with any signs or gesture to indicate his wants. Mary Hulme gave an equally particular account of the care and tenderness with which George was treated. On the Monday before the Wednesday when the Magistrates called, he had been very ill, and his sister sat up with him the whole of that night ; his linen had been changed on that Monday, and preparations were made for doing the same on the Wednesday, and his sister had looked out all the necessary articles for a complete change of hed linen, which' was brought into the kitchen to be aired, there being no other fire -then burning in th e , h ouse . Miss Smith and her brother had gone up stairs to as sist in the preparations for changing the bed-room things, when witness observed Mr. Eld and Mr. Brough ton ride slowly past the window, and up the path which led to the kitchen door; she instantly went up stairs to tell Mr. Smith that there were two gentlemen coming, and she flung the linen which was airing aside. By this time the gentlemen had opened the door, having put up their horses in the cow-house, and Mr. Thomas Smith had come down stairs. Mr. Broughton asked Mr. Smitlrhow many brothers he had, he replied six. How many live here ? Three. Mr. Broughton then said, " You have a brOther confined, and we are come to see him." Mr. Thomas Smith said, " You shall see him in a few mi nutes." Mr. Broughton replied, that he would see hint then, or he would burst open every door in the house. Mr. Smith made no reply. Mr. Broughton was going up stairs when the former said he should not go up s t a i rs , and he stood before him. Miss Sarah then immediately came down, without her gown, and only wearing her shawl. Mr. Eld asked her how she did ? Mr. Broughton spoke next, and said he was come to see her brother, and she re plied, " You shall see him, Sir, in a few m i nutes. " He said he would allow her a few minutes then, a n d s h e was going up stairs, when Mr. Eld said something to Mr. Broughton, and they immediately followed her up stairs. a to nd ta a ke bag not t i h ce at w i h ul t lv n h d w d a e s s desired e t d o 1 1 ) '417 Mr. Broughton then said that he had found George Smith as contained the chaff. The top -coat justwas he e told,the W red, Was to keep George's feet warm. They all came down h t on to the kitchen,. where Mr. Broughton desired Poison to stay thereand see t hat George was fed, but not remov ed, or any thing else " BARBAROUS ATROCITT. " We noticed in a former number an instance of horrid atrocity stated to have been committed by a brother and sister upon their insane elder brother. There was something so revolting to human nature in the account, that we trusted it was false, and should have discredited the facts altogether, had it not been positively stated that the sufferer was rescued and removed to the Staffordshire Lunatic Asylum. We extracted the particulars from the Salopian Journal, and the circumstances were said to have taken place near the borders of that county. A contradiction of the transaction has since been inserted in the Shrewsbury Chronicle but we confess we are not, in reading that contradiction, any more inclined to doubt the truth of the previous statement, u it appeared to be written by 'tome of the parties implicated, and a threat was held out to newspapers generally, if they did not contradict the former account. W. have this week received a communication from a very respectable correspondent, residing near the sp o t, corro b orat i ng in all th e ma i n points the horrid narrative given; by the Salo pion Journal ; and though there might be scarcely a line of truth in the whole tale, the acts of unnatural cruelty to which the poor sufferer was exposed, are not only =firmed, but aggravated.-- Relying upon the veracity of our correspondent, we shall insert his communication verbatim, regardless of the threats held out in order to prevent this horrid transaction from being brought to light " The account of an atrocity discovered an the borders of Shropshire, as copied into the Birmingham Journal from another paper, is not i n all i ts part i cu l ars quite c orrect . T he circum stance is no secret, since it is made the general t o pi c o f convey sation throughout the neighbourhood. Mucklostone Wood is si tuated about a quarter of a mile from the Loggerheads public house, at which the two turnpike-roads from Eccleshall to and from Newcastle to Market-Drayton cross each other ; and the house, which is large, and of respectable appearance, is inhabited by two of the name of Srntth, and the bachelors and a maid en s i ster , lunatic is their elder brother. The communication Wu first made to a Mr. Eld, brother of the Magistrate of that name, and be, with the Rev. H. D. Broughton, a Magistrate of the neighbourhood, A mpanied by a constable ofMucklestone, broke into the garret, w h e re the lunatic was c on fi ne d. The cry which he uttered an beholding the light was that of horror, but it does not appear ~~~ No. 10,582. nn PRICE 7n. done with the bed. The two gentlemen went away, leav ing Poison, who. stopped half an hour longer, and then Went borne for half an hour more and returned, stop ping till sight o'clock in the evening, when Mr. Garrett, of the Lunatic Asylum, came, accompanied by Mr. Eld.--- .. They went up t o G eorge ' s room , an d remove d hi m awa y in a chaise, without asking . leave of any body. She lad never the least reason for knowing he had had a broken thigh. He was treated with every indulgence and kindness. In answer to a question from the Court, she said he would utter sounds like aye and no, but.fshe had no reason to think he understood the meaning of any words. Miss Sarah Smith, .an elderly lady, who, upon being asked her age, said, more than 40, was the sister of, and older than, George, the lunatic. When he was half a year or three-quarters old, he had a fit in his infancy as she understood. He never understood what was said to him, nor could be taught to read, or even recognize p-wple.. Her father bad consulted Mr. Hopkins for him in early Mai but that gentleman said nothing could be done for him, and he grew worse as he advanced in years. When &boy he required assistance in walking, his knees were hen‘ ln' right arm hung down, and one side of his body seemed always affected. She then described .the manner of his removal when her father removed, and it was her father who selected the room, and made the arrangements for him, desiring at the same time the room to be darkened, which was done with bricks that could be , re moved, so as to admit more or leas light. Her 'mcsiher first took care of him t and when dying wished witness to take charge of him in the same manner as she had herself, and her father when dying left the same injunction. Indeed, George's treatment was better after wards than before, for she had less business to look after at Mueldestone then .at Willoughlaridge, and consectioitty . more time to attend toliim. His linen was always:changed every other day, and his bed-clothes likeviiae, ittd the chaff ' mattress under the feather bed, besides other changes which his situation required. Every morning he was washed, but he was very averse to being shaved, and it became necessary to clip his beard from time to time with scissors. Darkness mitigated his fits, and when he was better she always admitted more light. The witness then confirmed the account respecting the regularity and abund ance of his meals, &c., and the comfort of his clothing, in bed and otherwise, as well as the interruption to their pre parations for shifting and cleaning him on the Wednesday when the Magistrates called, although that attention had been paid him on the Monday preceding. Mr. William Perkins, a timber-merchant, had examined George Smith's bed-room at his brother's ou Tuesday last. It was from all the appearances a dry, warm' room of pop lar wood flooring; it was a little decayed for a few inches near where the bed was said to have stood ; but it was the best room in the house, and if dampness was common to it, the appearances would have been very different from what they were. The length of the room was 19 feet 10, the width, 12 feet 10, and the height about nine feet. Thomas Bernard Badden, surgeon, was called upon last February to see G eorge S m i t h i n t h e Lunatic Asylum at Stafford. He was then in a feverish state, but his body . had been carefully kept, for it was free from excoriations. His lower extremities were very much contracted, and still more so when he saw him again last June. These contractions, as well as epileptic fits, were common to idiots ; George Smith was a complete idiot. There was a great degree of inflammation and enlargement of the knee between his first and subsequent visit, which he at tributed to some attempts to extend the limb, but he made no inquires about the cause. On the third time he called he observed excoriations on his shin and contractions in his fingers, which were before flexible and free, particu larly those of the right hand. He was not shaved et first in the Asylum, but he afterwards had been. Witness bed examined his thigh, and did not believe that it had ever been broken, though possibly there might have been a dis ease in the hip-joint. Epileptic fits frequently induce paralysis, which is always attended with contraction. Dr. Kennedy had seen the idiot on the 1 lth and 17th of July, and noticed the contractions of his limbs, which might have resulted from epilepsy or paralysis. The plaintiff's ease was here closed. It had lasted from a quarter before nine o'clock in the,morning, until near ten o'clock on Saturday night. A long discussion then arose between Counsel and the Court, about an adjournment. It was on all hands ad» fitted that the trial could be carried no further at this sit ting, and that the jury should remain at large; but the plaintiff's counsel wished the cause to__ proceed in due course on Monday morning; but this Mr. Justice Du rough would not permit, as an important special jury cause was already tired for Monday, to which Mr. Scar lett and Mr. Sergeant Wilde were to be brought spe cial from their respective and distant circuits. It was pressed upon the Court, that the cause alluded to would last two days, to which it was answered from the bench that the present cause must then be adjourned till Wed nesday morning, which was done accordingly. There are upwards of 40 causes on the list unheard, and they are all , thrown into confusion, at an immense expence to the re spective suitors, by the situation on the list of those long causes, which will last until Thursday next, according to the most probable computation. Counsel for the plaintiff, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Talfourd, and Mr. Whateley ; for the defendant, Mr. Taunton, Mr. • Russel, Mr. Phillips, and Mr. Godson. WZDNESDAy—(szcolan DAY)--..AVC. 9. The case of Smith v. Hodgett and Others, was this day resumed. The Court was not so crowded at an early hour as on the former day, but it was filled to excess, and the interest was manifested until a late hour at night, when the case was again adjourned, the Judge reserving his charge until to-morrow. Mr. Taunton said, that he had to address the Jury in behalf of the defendants, who were persons filling a very respectable situation in society, and engaged in the publi. canon of a newspaper, which was a reputable profession. The defendants were the proprietors of a respectable newspaper, which was only recently established, called The Birmin i gham Journal. It was necessarily published at some distance from the place where the Smith family resided, and the defendants- were so entirely un acquainted with these people, that not a shadow of malice could be imputed to .their statement respecting them in the newspaper; The publication had occurred in the usual course of business, at a moment when the case had excited much attention in Shropshire.— They had collected, as they were bound to do, the best information they could respecting it; in doing this they had merely done their duty, and not gone out of their proper sphere. He did not stand there as the advocate of every thing which found its way into the columns of a newspaper ; but surely the conductors of these most useful vehicles of public intelligence must have'some allowances made for them m a scrutiny of their business—the hurry of publication, the necessity of their Journal being pub lished at particular moments, the laudable desire to rye early intelligence; all these essential circumstances ex posed them to occasional mistakes, which ought not to be too invidiously weighed. The business of a Journalist was to impart instruction and information to the public re specting the passing occurrences of the day; and if it were o be expected from them, that their descriptions of every occurrence were to be couched in terms as minutely ac curate as special pleadings, then the Jury might scoop p r e... pare themselves for the suppression of Newspapers_ ill 9 0 i s country. This would be the inevitable effeC4, ol l . lri ten. lending. their power to the acme punishment tuu Persons and tional errors on the part of Newspaper who of respectable character would expotc , ,.. o o l eeasion,they Property to jeopardy, if, upon " 41 1 0 7 at the inati were to be ,exposed to quence of such a practice,_ Fp . oelie, their establishment N ews p o pers,or, what woull o p v gallon of every irritable oppon ent. be l: a h l e e ne , c u e p s p s r a e r u y i c o o n ns o e- f the hands of desperate and unupri d xon anatz eip e e d me p n e t n e o i i i i t i r:st posd ed sessing neither character nor , ev en that responsibility, which, futrodiridPeteire:beir)teiticeiotrYyhan'oriyillieit4ntalidineetpPluehllcwere alwuys sure to have, damages, when 4 case really